Tell me about BrixtonGreen - a "community led development" on Somerleyton Road

The worst bit was when the training centre for people with learning disabilities got closed down. It was empty until the Olive School went there, but it was always earmarked for something else which is why the training centre got closed. It just took a long time for it to happen. I thought Lambeth handled that in its usual cack-handed manner.

...how do we know the profits won't end up with a commercial developer - or even you!
Brixton Green Limited is run for the benefit of the local community. It can only use its funds and assets for this purpose. Neither directors, board members or share holders can take a profit.

We will need to work with development partner(s). The best way for us to reduce the cost of these partnerships is to:
• Clarify what we want to build.
• Have a good understanding of the issues and costs involved.
• Reduce the risks.

We plan to do this as follows:
1. Detailed brief - this will involve workshops with local groups and organisations. Throughout we will include feedback from a team of experts.
2. Detailed feasibility study .
3. Panel set up to select development partner(s).

The whole process needs to be transparent.

If you are involved with a group or organisation who would like to have a Brixton Green workshop, please contact us through www.brixtongreen.org or call 020 7183 5838

Southwyck House was built 'facing the wrong way' (motorway*
) and there is the railway line. What benefits does your scheme hold in all these respects?
Southwyck House, the railway and the unwelcoming alley at Somerleyton Way have the effect of discouraging access to this part of Coldharbour Lane and the Somerleyton triangle. This reduces economic activity and community safety.
Our proposal addresses this in three key ways:
1. Creative hub at the junction of Coldhabour Lane and Somerleyton Road.
This will bring together three established Brixton arts organisations, a chefs school, post office/credit union and more. The visitors and activity this will attract will extend Brixton town centre,*drawing visitors through the market and encourage*regeneration towards Loughborough Junction.
2. Community hub at the entrance to the alley of Somerleyton Way.
Using community activity to make the alley a welcoming connection between Mayall Road and Somerleyton Road. This will include a*children’s’ nursery, health care/dentist, hair & beauty training salon, chemist/corner shop.
3. Street facing homes.
Front gardens, family units on the ground floor, communal gardens and allotments at the rear.

How will residents in the new housing be chosen?
This will be decided during the detailed brief and feasibility work.

Why is your scheme better than a simple HA development?
Central Brixton has some complicated regeneration issues that have not been properly resolved for 40 years. This strip of land in particular is of strategic importance to the community in Brixton as it divides off central Brixton from the rest of Coldharbour Lane and the Somerleyton triangle.
A proposal that is owned by Brixton people and driven by Brixton people will be better placed to galvanise the community and bring forward a holistic proposal on this site.

...the land is already community owned.
Lambeth Council owns the majority of the site. If it is to be developed, Lambeth Council will need to enter into an arrangement with a private developer, housing association or a community led initiative.

Press inaccuracies
As I mentioned before we have had some inaccuracies in how the press has covered Brixton Green. As we improve our online information we will hopefully reduce any errors.

The Independent ran an excellent article featuring Brixton Green. I would like to clear up some of the points it made which were not accurate and have caused concern on this forum.

• Brixton Green is not setting up and has never planned to set up an "arms length delivery vehicle".

• Brixton Green has never claimed that Lambeth have transferred or sold the site to us.

• Brixton Green has never described the site as vacant or derelict.

• Our organisation is Brixton Green Limited not "Brixton Green Community Land Trust".

• The article mentions "Once complete, the scheme will be jointly managed by Lambeth Council, residents and local businesses. "
The necessary management structure for the scheme will only be decided during the detailed brief/feasibility study. We have never discussed a structure that involved the scheme being "jointly managed by Lambeth Council, residents and local businesses."

• The article mentions "In addition to housing, the scheme will include small stores and workshops, including a cluster of high-quality Caribbean manicure and hairstyling boutique."
This is inaccurate. The current proposal includes a hair and beauty training salon, not a cluster of boutiques.
Please come to our site to see the current proposal www.brixtongreen.org

• The proposal does not rely on community shares for the funding of the project. We are selling 5,000 £1 shares to 5,000 individuals who live or work in Brixton. Their purpose is to ensure the ownership of our organisation is with people who live and work in the area, not to raise finance.

Southwyck House was built 'facing the wrong way' (motorway) and there is the railway line. What benefits does your scheme hold in all these respects?
Southwyck House, the railway and the unwelcoming alley at Somerleyton Way have the effect of discouraging access to this part of Coldharbour Lane and the Somerleyton triangle. This reduces economic activity and community safety.

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You've lost me here. How does Southwyck House 'discourage access' to Somerleyton Road and Coldharbour Lane?

Plus it's never been the Somerleyton Triangle. It's the Moorlands Triangle....and the last thing I want by my house is yet another hair & beauty place. We can't eat extensions. Maybe if they offered reasonable rent to Nour so we don't lose them I'd buy a share.

As the poster who raised the issue of Southwyck House facing away from Coldharbour Lane (as I understand it because of the proposed flyover), I think there is a way in which on-street activity is reduced for the length of Southwyck House on Coldharbour Lane. There is no friendly bustle, no-one looking out over balconies, no-one going in or out. The effect, for someone who doesn't live there, is that it seals Moorlands off. And it has ramifications for the 'natural survelliance' . I like the idea of street-facing houses along Somerleyton Rd - it isn't a vacant or derelict strip, but it is fairly bleak at night.

Is the Hair and Beauty thing an outlet as well as training? Do we know at which point the hair and beauty market will be saturated? Ttaining projects sound good, though.

Brad - can you clarify, what are the shares for? What do you own a part of if you buy a share? What if the shareholders vote against certain ideas within your plans? Can there be a hostile takeover?

Have you actually walked down Somerleyton since the Housing Association 'turned round' the houses so they face the street? It happened about a decade ago. A lot of the blight can be laid at Lambeth's door when they started moving community stuff out of the area. I'd have a lot more respect for you if the training centre for people with learning disabilities was put back on the agenda. They were very much part of the community. They weren't perhaps considered cool and vibrant enough for the vision of edgy young professionals. Also why is stuff like community transport, meals on wheels, the tropical fruit depot and so on being totally ignored? They're on Somerleyton. There is economic activity there. The more you post, Brad, the more I think you are confusing our area with somewhere else completely different.

I read out what you said before editing it all away to a local blind resident (again, he's been in Brixton for decades) and he said.
"There's loads of economic activity along there! I'm blind and I can pick up on all the bustle along there. He's either never walked along there or he's totally stupid."

When I read out the guff about Southwyck House discouraging access to Somerleyton & Coldharbour he just screwed up his face in utter confusion and then said "What a tosser!"

I think it is important that Southwyck House is not knocked down, but that the issue with the street frontage is addressed.

The hair and beauty training salon, along with the other ideas in the current proposal have come from the discussions with local residents so far. Please visit one of our open events to get a better understanding of how these proposals benefit the community and have a chance to contribute your ideas.

If you would like to continue the debate please visit www.brixtongreen.org or come to our open events on the 1st Thursday of every month starting 7pm Thursday 5th May at Unit 45, Brixton Village.

I think it is important that Southwyck House is not knocked down, but that the issue with the street frontage is addressed.

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So you'd like to get rid of the green space that runs for most of the length of Southwyck House and replace it with "economic activity"? What exactly do you have in mind?
Do you really think such a proposal might be popular with residents? Have you asked them?

So you'd like to get rid of the green space that runs for most of the length of Southwyck House and replace it with "economic activity"? What exactly do you have in mind?
Do you really think such a proposal might be popular with residents? Have you asked them?

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You know the woman who lives opposite over one of the shops and walks her dogs on the green? You know ed, the one that's interacted with you. I think she'd be interested, don't you?

What about the section on the brixtongreen website entitled "what you think" - "Please let us know your ideas and thoughts on the proposal" Its on the right hand side. You can click on it and submit your ideas and thoughts.

Perhaps you feel that its not interactive enough, but there's no need to be so rude.

What about the section on the brixtongreen website entitled "what you think" - "Please let us know your ideas and thoughts on the proposal" Its on the right hand side. You can click on it and submit your ideas and thoughts.

Also, I know a lot of people round here, this is slap bang on my doorstep, I'm really active in the community, have lived here for a long time and the only people I've come across that have had any interaction with these people are from the older people's club who as I said earlier were not very impressed. The only interaction I've had with them is on here. The old folk were spot on imo.

brad seems to have as much of a grasp on what's actually happening round here in terms of the business, buildings and community as I have of the rules of etiquette in deepest Mongolia.